Don Sanborn's Blog: Let the summer season begin

Sunday, May 23, 2021

Let the summer season begin

Let the Summer begin

The Cabana, or Gazebo, we've always called it a cabana, anyway it's up, we had to buy a new one this year. A new one was $60 more than purchasing a new cover and bug net for it. Bugs get bad here at times. We struggled this year the frame went up easy enough, other than taking a nice chunk out of my thumb. Putting the cover on was a different matter they always seem to be small, we have to stretch the cover to get it on, this year we also had to use a 3lb dead-blow mallet too.

We pulled Rose's Dads old Troy-Built tiller out of the barn, it's ~50 years old, we had the motor replaced a few years back. It's always a learning exercise at the beginning of the season trying to figure out the controls, lots of levers, knobs, all the labels are long gone, I do have a manual I pulled from the web, someday I'll read it all, it's pretty amazing going into minute details on how to maintain this beast, how to take the entire thing apart and fix what's broke.

I rolled it out of the barn, checked and saw some gas in the tank, switched the fuel shutoff to on, pushed the primer bulb 3-4 times and pulled. I pulled, then pulled some more, pushed the primer bulb again 3-5 times, it wouldn't fire.

I started to doubt the position of the fuel shutoff, "it happens" so I reached down to flip it to the other position, The tiller wouldn't start, something is wrong, noticed I couldn't smell gas, you know that smell then the engine is flooded smell you get when you've over primed an engine. hmm, so I switched the fuel shutoff back to what I assumed was "on" in the first place and the fuel line came off the gas tank. Interesting no fuel dripped out, none, I saw gas but with the tilt of the tiller sitting in the driveway apparently there was not enough fuel.

I added more fuel, crappy gas can nozzles, don't get me going on these stupid EPA regulated pieces of crap that take at least 3 hands to operate, I spilled the obligatory quart of gas trying to get a pint or two into the tiller. I tried 3 different fuel cans (we keep several cans just for the generator) the first nozzle leaked like a sieve, put that aside, the second can the nozzle wouldn't slide to allow fuel to flow, WTF? Finally hoisting the third can up to the tank, the nozzle worked adding a quart or two into the tank.

I pushed the Primer bulb 3x and it rumbled to life instantly, YAY! Once I found it, I adjusted the choke, and she smoothed right out. Now I just need to find the lever to get her to move, all the labels for the various adjustments have long curled up and fallen off. I pulled up on the longest lever and away we went, off to the back yard to change belts. That's a story for another day.

The old (7 or so years) Husqvarna tractor is still giving us some grief... I poured Baking soda and water over the battery terminals replaced both rusted batter bolts, replaced the fuel pump, and air filter. It's running again, still requires starter fluid to get her running though.

Our Lilac by the driveway is in bloom you smell it every time you walk by.

Our Old House

The Bird house in the Lilac

We're tired of all the pollen this year it's coating everything. Can't wait to be able to sit in the Cabana again.

Both the rototiller belts that I had are slipping too much to be of much use. I ordered two new ones that'll arrive Saturday. Hah they arrived Friday evening.

It's Crystal's Birthday on Saturday 5/22, Jarrod invited us to go over there this evening for dinner.

It's the local "Yard Sale extravaganza" in Hillsborough, a town wide event, New Boston used to do these too but that effort ceased once the woman running it couldn't run it any more. We'll caravan with Jarrod's family. Not that we need more stuff, it's the adventure, and you never know what treasures you'll find.

The bugs Black flies are bad this year, well, they're always bad, the Skeets are just arriving too.

Sunday it's supposed to be 91 degrees today